Spartanburg Magazine | Spring 2018

SPRING 2018

M A G A Z I N E

SOUTH CAROLINA’S

CHEF AMBASSADOR

INSIDE TASTE OF SPARTANBURG BANNAN BLASKO HOONDIRT

Putting a spotlight on Southern food

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CONTENTS

HOW TO REACH US FOR STORY IDEAS OR COMMENTS

SPRING 2018

Jose Franco Editor

10 | SC CHEF AMBASSADOR

48 | GREYLOGS ESTATE

Putting Southern food on the map

Built in the same style as Grove Park Inn

18 | BANNAN BLASKO

56 | CLEVELAND LAW RANGE

Artists are making their mark in Spartanburg

Once a bustling space for attorneys, statesmen

64 | MOBILE MEALS

34 | EMBER

1919 home has been a godsend

Author imagines a world without sunlight

ESSENTIALS

40 | HOONDIRT

9 | FROM THE EDITOR

Purposely avoiding the mainstream

92 | SCENE

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jose.franco@shj.com

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Jennifer Bradley Circulation Coordinator 864-562-7402 jennifer.bradley@shj.com

ON THE COVER

TIM KIMZEY PHOTO

Chef Sarah McClure, chef at Southside Smokehouse, in Landrum, was recently named one of the 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors.

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PUBLISHER

Kevin Drake EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EDITOR

We must endure winter to enjoy spring

Jose Franco

(The following excerpt is from a column I wrote during the Ice Storm of 2002)

Michael G. Smith

STAFF WRITERS Zach Fox, Daniel Gross, Chris Lavender, Bob Montgomery, Alyssa Mulliger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Latria Graham, Steve Wong STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alex Hicks Jr., Tim Kimzey

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER John Byrum, Gwinn Davis, Wendy Shockley McCarty, Leland A. Outz

REGINAL DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Konrad La Prade INTEGRATED MEDIA SALES MANAGER

Aron Goss ADVERTISING ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER

Debbie Brown CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Ken Smith CIRCULATION COORDINATOR

Jennifer Bradley

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Day One The TV, DVD, VCR, surround-sound system combo was on full blast. The computer was humming — I was ordering Christmas presents online and instant messaging my brother. The heat was on, and the house was nice and toasty.

A flicker of lights at 11:03 p.m. Wednesday, and suddenly the lights went out in my section of Converse Heights.

I searched through the dark for matches and candles. I looked out the window at my very dark neighborhood.

In the middle of the night, I was awoken by trees crashing down on the roof and sliding down like an avalanche and then crashing onto the ground next to my bedroom window.

Day Two I shaved by candlelight. I even had some hot water and was able to take a bath. I searched through a dark closet and found my winter cap, a thick sweatshirt and one of my gloves. I joked this would be my Kurt Cobain look.

Half of the newsroom — male and female — were wearing ballcaps, signs of no electricity. Who had it worse? People with fireplaces, gas stoves and gas water heaters were living in luxury in my opinion.

Although I had none of those luxury items, some people didn’t have phone service or water.

I got small and big batteries for my radio and flashlight, extra candles, matches and some comfort food and lots of bottled water. I lit candles, turned on the radio and ate my sandwich from Subway.

My sinuses were acting up and my head hurt so I decided to take some NyQuil and go to bed at 7:30 p.m. I covered in blankets and slept through my second night without electricity.

Day Three I was starting to suffer the “poor me” syndrome. Probably to stop my whining, a friend invited me to spend the night. He had a second bedroom, heat, hot water and a big screen TV. I could live with that. In all, six or seven friends offered me places to stay.

That made my heart warm.

Day Four On Saturday, I was starting to get cabin fever and decided to go to Chick-fil-A for breakfast, Target for some Christmas shopping and to Barnes & Noble to look at books and magazines and to get some coffee. I stopped by my cold apartment a couple of times to check on the cat.

Day Five Sunday morning (around 12:15 p.m.) I went to see “Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets” because I knew it was three hours long if you include all of the previews.

Three hours in warmth.

Day Six Monday. Still no electricity. I think I was on the verge of hysteria. I told one friend that I thought I was never going to get electricity ever again and that I would probably have to move out of Converse Heights if I ever wanted to see my appliances turn on again.

Day Seven At 3 p.m., my neighbor called and told me he saw them pull the switch. We had power.

One hundred twenty-eight hours without power.

The first thing I did was plug in the strand of Christmas lights that have been hanging from my porch for the past three years.

They didn’t work. Oh well, I can buy new ones.

I’m powerful now.

Jose Franco, Editor JOSE.FRANCO@SHJ.COM

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Southside Smokehouse’s Sarah McClure has been named a South Carolina chef ambassador STORY BY ALYSSA MULLIGER PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

C

hef Sarah McClure isn’t fond of baking, doesn’t like to follow recipes and prefers not to measure ingredients but she loves sautéing, grilling and any kind of hands-on cooking technique.

McClure, 31, the chef and manager at Southside Smokehouse in Landrum, was one of four chefs named as 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors by Gov. Henry McMaster.

It’s an honor that’s simultaneously thrilling and a bit intimidating, McClure said. “I’m excited that Landrum is being recognized as part of the food scene, and excited about the moment in food culture that Southern food is having right now,” she said.

“Southern food is really getting some respect in the food scene that it didn’t really get five or 10 years ago, and I’m glad to be a part of that.”

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Sarah McClure said she decided to join her dad as a chef at Southside Smokehouse and has kept guests’ palates in mind when coming up with new recipes.

At Southside Smokehouse, McClure’s menu features acclaimed house-smoked meats, barbecue, and burgers, alongside Louisiana-style dishes like jambalaya, fried oysters and shrimp and grits.

Many menu items and the restaurant’s daily specials include produce from local farmers when possible. “The day-to-day running of a restaurant can be incredibly complex with lots of moving parts, but the basic concept of making food, giving it to people and hoping they enjoy it really appeals to me,” McClure said. “I get excited taking something that is sort of basic comfort food and giving it a little twist.”

The Chef Ambassador program recognizes chefs across the state who represent the best of South Carolina’s food scene through the quality of their supplies and commitment to using healthy, locally grown ingredients.

Former Gov. Nikki Haley launched the program in 2014 as a way to showcase the state’s various culinary selections and promote tourism. The Chef Ambassadors program operates in conjunction with the S.C. Department of Agriculture and the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.

“These gifted chefs showcase the delicious produce and products of South Carolina’s hardworking farmers, which is wonderful to see and even better to taste,” said Hugh Weathers, agriculture commissioner, in a statement.

Each year, a chef ambassador is chosen from four regions in the state — the Upstate, the Midlands, the Lowcountry and the Pee Dee. Last year’s Upstate chef ambassador was Spartanburg restaurateur William Cribb, who is known for Willy Taco, Cribb’s Kitchen and other ventures.

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Shrimp and Grits, with andouille sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, adluh grits and spice white wine cream sauce.

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“Southern food is really getting some respect in the food scene that it didn’t really get five or 10 years ago, and I’m glad to be a part of that.”

Sarah McClure

Chef Sarah McClure said “the basic concept of making food, giving it to people and hoping they really enjoy it really appeals to me.”

Joining McClure as chef ambassadors for 2018 are Kiki Cyrus of Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles in Columbia; Heidi Vukov of Croissants Bistro & Bakery in Myrtle Beach; and Michelle Weaver of Charleston Grill in Charleston. “These four women are among the best and brightest culinary stars in our state,” McMaster said in a statement.

“Being named an S.C. Chef Ambassador allows these chefs to shine a unique spotlight on not only their exceptional talents but also on the destinations in South Carolina where they live and work.”

Throughout the year, the chef ambassadors will participate in culinary and tourism events across the Southeast. They will host cooking demonstrations and discuss the offerings found in the cities where their restaurants are based.

Unlike many chefs, McClure said she sort of fell into cooking and quickly found she enjoyed it and was good at it. After graduating from Wofford College in 2008 with a degree in art history, she decided to pursue her master’s in art history at the University of Georgia. Realizing it wasn’t the right path for her, she started cooking and drawing on her experiences in the restaurant industry with waiting tables, bartending and managing staff.

At Southside Smokehouse, McClure’s menu features acclaimed house-smoked meat, barbecue, and burgers, alongside Louisiana-style dishes like jambalaya, fried oysters and shrimp and grits.

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Dish prepared by Chef Sarah McClure: Seasonal Salad with pears, apples, pomegranate, and pecans.

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Some of McClure’s earliest experiences are from when she was a teenager waiting tables at Southside Smokehouse, which opened in December 2003 and is operated by her father, Robbie.

McClure left the University of Georgia to pursue cooking full time, landing a job at The National in Athens, Ga. “It was my foray into learning how to do fine dining,” she said.

McClure said she hadn’t planned to return to live or work in Landrum, but through a series of events, she and her husband found themselves relocating to the small foothills town six years ago.

McClure decided to join her dad as a chef at Southside Smokehouse and kept guests’ palates in mind when coming up with new recipes to add to the restaurant’s repertoire. “I took some things I’d done at The National that were cool or interesting and do them in a way that makes them more accessible to a small town in South Carolina,” she said. “I really enjoy the immediacy and the simplicity of the concepts of cooking.”

Chef Sarah McClure prepares a dish of shrimp and grits, with andouille sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, adluh grits and spice white wine cream sauce.

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Painting THE TOWN Artists Bannan and Blasko putting their mark on Spartanburg

STORY BY STEVE WONG | PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

T

he artists Russell Bannan and Eli Blasko have a history. Their history as business partners might not be all that long: Their “creative agency” Bannan Blasko was founded in 2016, but they have known each other and worked together on various art projects on and off since 2014, when Eli was an artist-in-residence at HubBub and Russell was pursuing a second degree in graphic design. As business partners, friends, and artists, each has his own strengths, yet, it is the historical research that they put into the work that has branded them as artists who think long and hard before their paintbrushes ever touch a wall.

“We spend just as much time if not more doing research and understanding the history of a place as we do on the designing and execution of the project,” Russell said. “It is the foundation to almost everything we do.”

“To me,” Eli added, “this research is how we find our flow, what brings on the initial excitement and Aha! moments when deciding how to unravel concepts within a project, and, truthfully, is just a part of our aesthetic. I don’t know if our work would look like Bannan Blasko stylistically if we didn’t tap into the research component like we do.”

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Artists Russell Bannan and Eli Blasko have been creating artwork from materials found during the renovations of Drayton Mills.

JOHN BYRUM PHOTO

Take, for example, the glass wall behind the coffee counter in Milliken’s Innovation Headquarters in Spartanburg.

The entrance room to the campus is about as big and open as a basketball court, letting visitors take in the facing wall of water without distraction. To welcome guests and as a perk to the employees, there is a coffee counter to the right and behind it is a thick glass wall with black-and-white geometric designs — not just any geometric designs, but images derived from carpet designs that Milliken has produced over the years.

Despite the eclectic nature of the curated designs, there is suggestive left-to-right movement, eventually deconstructing to simple empty squares with increasing empty space between them. It is that empty space, much like the room itself, that lets the images on the backside of the wall come through and leads the viewer to the other side of creativity. As if the geometric designs had devolved into their basic elements, the backside of the glass wall is a dense swirl of overlapping and trailing loops that fill half the space, letting the designs on the front side show through. To anyone familiar with the international textile company, those black loops look oddly familiar — like Roger Milliken’s signature logo.

Russell Bannan, left, and Eli Blasko paint a mural honoring the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2017, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary. The mural is located on the university’s campus near the Center for International Studies. ALEX HICKS JR. PHOTO

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Eli Blasko talks about his work on the artlet project on the Northside. JOHN BYRUM PHOTO

“Sketching and brainstorming are important problem-solving tools at Milliken,” said Stacy Walker, Milliken’s Corporate Director of Brand Experience.

“With the new Coffee Bar mural at our corporate campus, we wanted to illustrate those tools in a way that intrigued and informed visitors while also being a thoughtful addition to the overall campus experience. In selecting Russell Bannan and Eli Blasko to conceptualize and create the mural, we found an ideological match — their work paralleled our ideation process. Eli and Russell worked tirelessly to explore our historical textile portfolios, cultivating the perfect vision for the hand-painted design. Paired with their professional demeanor and inspired creativity, Bannan Blasko brought to life an art installation perfectly suited for a company like Milliken.”

Eli said they were not given any prompts for the artwork.

“We came up with the concept and

then presented it back to Milliken,” Eli said. “They enjoyed it, and that’s what we ended up staying with since the beginning of that project. We were given access to Milliken’s archive of textile patterns.

We did a lot of digging around online to see what else we could find out about the chosen patterns. The back of that piece, in addition to being a nod to the Milliken signature, is also reminiscent of a Cy Twombly series that Milliken & Co. used for a carpet pattern as well. We spent a lot of time brushing up on the concepts Twombly explored in this series of works, ensuring that there was an adequate connection to our concept for this piece.”

The artists were given a lot of creative freedom, Russell added.

As individuals, Russell and Eli come from very different backgrounds and merge their various talents into their company. Both have spent years traveling the country and testing the creative waters before coming together in Spartanburg. Eli describes himself as “a visual artist, public sculptor, designer, and muralist who spent much of his formative years wandering around the forests of Western Pennsylvania.” After receiving his bachelor’s degree in fine art from Slippery Rock University, he worked as a Studio Resident Assistant in a blacksmithing and steel fabrication shop at Touchstone Center for Crafts in his home state. He spent several years pursuing various residencies, exhibitions, and public art projects around the country.

After completing a residency with HubBub, he decided he liked Spartanburg enough to stay. Currently, he runs his own independent studio, teaches carpentry at a local college, makes time to roam around outside, and takes on projects with Russell. Sculpture is the cornerstone of his creativity, but he often incorporates drawing, performance, and public interaction. Outside of the studio, he is “an amateur mycologist, a mediocre climber of rocks, and a lover of all things involving astrophysics, Japanese woodworking, and cats,” he said.

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Bannan is a Spartanburg native with a large extended family. He has a degree in religion with a minor in Latin American studies from Presbyterian College and another degree from USC Upstate in graphic design with a minor in art history. He also has a certificate in Labor Studies and Arbitration from the National Labor College. Before returning to Spartanburg, he was heavily involved in different civil rights issues. He worked as the Colorado State Organizing Director for the American Federation of Teachers, Senior Organizer for Change to Win, executive board member for Colorado Jobs with Justice, executive board member for the Denver Area Labor Federation, executive board member for the South Carolina Progressive Network, Communication Consultant for the International Longshoremen’s Association, Steering Committee member for Colorado Young Workers, founder of Colorado Labor Against the War, and a New Media consultant for the South Carolina AFL-CIO. During his work with the Service Employees International Union, he was arrested for civil disobedience for calling on Congress to reform current immigration laws. “It was during this period I became interested in graphic design and communications work,” he said. “I started out doing this design work out of necessity.”

Russell Bannan paints a sign for the FR8yard in downtown Spartanburg, on Nov. 17, 2017. TIM KIMZEY PHOTO

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Artists Russell Bannan and Eli Blasko painted this sign near the Drayton Mills water tanks and apartments. JOHN BYRUM PHOTO

Russell and Eli’s artwork can be found in many public and private places in Spartanburg. In downtown Spartanburg, there are several examples of their murals and sign paintings. On the backside of what natives refer to as the “Cantrell Building” (directly across the street from the Herald-Journal, and next door to Hub City Bookshop) is the made-to-lookold restored sign “F.T. CANTRELL WAGONS.” The white and weathered lettering on the brick building’s top floor might look like it was painted many years ago, but it was actually restored by Bannan Blasko in September 2017.

“Livia Cantrell reached out to us about restoring the Cantrell Wagons sign,” Russell recalled. “It took several weekends to do the labor side of the project. Over the course

of a few months, we did research trying to find a picture of the original sign, but the oldest picture we could ever find was one from the ‘90s. By that point, it was already pretty faded, and we had to recreate several of the letters based off of the style of the rest of the sign that the original sign painters created.”

Just a couple of blocks east on Main Street at the corner of Spring Street is the iconic “Love Where You Live” mural that was painted in 2014 by Russell and several other local artists before Bannan and Blasko became an official duo. Here again, the mural was created to look old. Most importantly, it had to reflect many concepts about the community. This is one of their and the community’s most well-known murals

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Bannan Blasko created artwork and signage for the inside and outside of Hub City Tap House.

BANNAN BLASKO PHOTO

The USC-Upstate mural at The Art Lounge on East Main Street in Spartanburg, on Jan. 10. TIM KIMZEY PHOTO

that incorporated many of the City of Spartanburg’s topof-mind visuals: the nicknames “Hub City” and “Sparkle City,” the founding year of 1831, the area code 864, the city’s skyline, the Grain District logo, the city’s logo, and to drive home the point, the word “HISTORIC.” Dominating the block design are the words “LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE” in reverse lettering on fire-engine red.

“This project was spearheaded by Hub-Bub and was a joint idea directly inspired by the success of a mural in Austin, Texas,” Russell explained. “I learned a lot about the process of public art throughout this project. I learned that there are a lot of work and conversations that have to be had before something goes up on a wall. I had to learn how to

work with building owners, the city, the downtown association, the chamber of commerce, and Hub-Bub, while at the same time coordinating all of the different artists who would be painting and work within a set budget. The question was how to curate the designs that had become part of the identity of Spartanburg into a single piece. At the end of the day, I was a more of a project coordinator than an artist, using work and branding done by individuals like Stephen Long, Hoondirt, and all of the different organizations that were involved became the mural. It’s a tribute to the countless people who spent decades working to create the identity of this city. Never would I have imagined it would have become as popular as it is.”

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Bannan Blasko murals throughout Spartanburg, including the There’s Only One Spartanburg mural on Main Street in Spartanburg, on Jan. 10.

TIM KIMZEY PHOTO

This mural was certainly the product of several local artists, and Eli came into the process toward the end. “The thing I really remember most about working with Eli on this project was us listening to Dub Atomic Particles on WNCW at around 3 in the morning, while it was in the 30s and off and on raining,” Russell said. “We knocked out that

project in four days with a team of around five artists who saw it from beginning to end and many more community members who came out and painted with us. Andrew Babb and Bucko Brandt: I remember stopping by and painting with us. We got a lot of community love while working on this project.”

“I think that the Love Where You Live mural has become a focal point in downtown,” Babb, the building’s owner said. “I see people daily having their picture taken in front of the mural. What is important is that they do the historical research to make the project legitimate. The creative work that the team of B&B produces touches this city.”

Most of Bannan Blasko’s artwork is public art, and it can be seen throughout Spartanburg. Among the most notable are the University of South Carolina Upstate’s 50th anniversary mural on the brick wall of Gallery East at 512 East Main Street, the “There’s Only One Spartanburg” mural on downtown Main Street across the street from Groucho’s Deli, two of the four Artlets built as mini community creative centers as part of Spartanburg’s redevelopment of its Northside, the “Yonder” mural on the side of the Nu-Way Restaurant & Lounge, and both the interior and exterior signs at Hub City Tap House on Saint John Street.

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“I don’t know the artists personally, but I certainly know their artwork,” said Kathy Chandler, Executive Director of Spartanburg Downtown Association. “It’s everywhere, and it’s wonderful. It doesn’t take an art critic to see the deeper understanding these guys put into their work. It is public art that makes people in Spartanburg be proud of their community. They are able to tap into the community’s mindset and reflect it in their art. It’s contemporary yet forward-thinking, yet it is rooted in our past. I love what they do, and I love how they are taking what is good about Spartanburg and turning it into visuals for everyone to appreciate.”

Even though there are many other examples of their mural and sign-painting projects in and around Spartanburg, Bannan and Blasko are not pigeoned-holed into painting words and images on walls. Stretching their talents is a series of eight sculptures in the residents’ shared space at Drayton Mills. Only seen by residents using their back patios or walking the footbridge over the atrium, these three-dimensional murals look like the handiwork of a child with a set of giant wooden baby blocks.

These assembled sculptures are playful with bold colors that brighten up the 500-foot darkish atrium.

Using a pop art palette of color, each island has several blocks of different sizes stacked together to create a multi-image concept, some spelling out “Drayton Mills” with different typefaces on staggered surfaces, some are solid colors, others are patterns or pictures of local icons, like magnolia blossoms, cotton bolls, peaches, and twin water towers. Some of the blocks display artifacts like

cogs, faucet wheels, alarm bells, pipes, and gas cans rescued from the building’s renovations.

“I always enjoy collaborating with Russell and Eli,” said Sandra Cannon, an interior designer who has worked with Bannan Blasko on a couple projects including Drayton Mills. “Bannan and Blasko have a unique ability to collaborate with other creative partners on any project. I particularly enjoy that approach because I feel that they understand the synergy, and believe that it helps make their work more successful. The level of organization along with the mind-blowing finished product always exceeds expectations and most importantly inspires for the next project.”

Like many business partners, Russell and Eli spend a lot of time together and have developed a unique friendship. “Eli is my heterosexual life partner,” Russell admitted. “Not only is he one of my closest friends, but I consider him one of the most talented artists I know. Which is one of the reasons I began to bring him on to projects I was getting — because he is better than me. To spend as much time as we do together we kind of have to love each other. Like brothers, we have more inside jokes and almost a language we speak that to an outsider sounds foreign. Every day and every project he has me rolling with laughter. Eli can do a Southern accent better than any actual Southerner I know.

When he gets going I can’t stop laughing. He does this character I now call Beaufort Buck that I can only describe as a combination of a Low Country accent with the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn that is speaking over a bad high school PA system.”

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FROM LEFT: Bannan Blasko murals throughout Spartanburg, including the Love Where You Live mural in downtown Spartanburg, on Jan. 9. Joey Nesta (shadow) takes a picture of Calista Jess in front of the mural. The Northside Artlets containing work by Bannan Blasko, on Howard Street in Spartanburg, on Jan. 25. A mural by Bannan Blasko located on the patio of the NuWay Restaurant & Lounge on Kennedy Street in Spartanburg, on Jan. 25. TIM KIMZEY PHOTOS

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“He’s just a big ol’ bird head,” Eli said in describing Russell. “Nah, that guy is great. He does talk about crows to an alarming degree sometimes though. Russell is a great people person. I’m continually blown away by his natural ability to connect people and connect with people. He’s also got a knack for making people laugh with his antics. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who can sit down and have a genuine conversation, be it heartfelt, intellectual, or humorous with such a wide array of people. It’s a gift, and the guy knows how to make people feel good, that’s all there is to it. Oh yeah, he’s a pretty good designer too.”

As a visual testament to their artistry, appreciation for history, and their friendship is the Bannan Blasko logo: It is simply their last names side by side in all caps using a sturdy sans serif typeface in a black rectangular frame. However, unifying the black

names is a single yellow and symbolic drop of liquid.

“It has a deeper meaning and reference to the Norse god Kvasir,” Russell said. “Those who were wary of academics and learning killed Kvasir and distilled his blood in a magic cauldron. When mixed with honey, his blood formed a mead that gave wisdom and poetic inspiration to those who drank it.”

“From my perspective, Spartanburg is really passionate about its roots and appreciates a job well done,” Eli said reflecting on his success. “I think people have taken notice of the diligence we put into the preliminary stages of our pieces, as well as the time we put into working on and progressing our craft. We see each piece as an opportunity to better ourselves and hone our skills, and the fact that the local area is supporting us so much in this endeavor is a huge honor.”

Bannan Blasko murals throughout Spartanburg, including the signage for Dearybury Oil & Gas on Southport Road in Spartanburg, on Jan. 10.

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TOP: Russell Bannan and Eli Blasko paint a mural for the patio at NuWay Restaurant & Lounge on July 29, 2015. BOTTOM: Bannan Blasko murals throughout Spartanburg, including the restoration of the F.T. Cantrell Wagons signage on the former Cantrell building, which now houses Carriage House Wines in Spartanburg, Jan. 10. TIM KIMZEY PHOTOS SPARTANBURG MAGAZINE | 31

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“Any popularity we have is just as much about timing and location as anything else,” Russell said echoing the sentiments of other local artists. “There are a lot more talented artists in this community than we are. I think what we have really been successful at building relationships, while at the same time doing quality work. Whether it is us or other artists I think Spartanburg is going to continue to invest in public art. Arts rightful place is where the community can easily access it. Public art is what gets me excited. It’s in your face whether you like it or not. If our work is popular that’s great, but it isn’t our motivation. It’s not why we do it. Whether people like our work or not, I try not to focus on it as much as I used to. You can’t make 100 percent of the public happy. All I want is a reaction, something that makes people snap out of the banality of day-to-day life. If that happens, I think we have been successful.”

Bannan Blasko murals throughout Spartanburg, including the “Yall” sign near the former Hub Bub building on Jan. 10. TIM KIMZEY PHOTO

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An idea that started as an

‘Ember’ Q&A with Brock Adams, winner of the South Carolina First Novel Prize STORY BY LATRIA GRAHAM PHOTOS BY LELAND A. OUTZ

B

rock Adams grew up in Panama City, Fla., and received his Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Central Florida. After graduation, he relocated to the Upstate, and he is currently a senior instructor of English and creative writing at USC Upstate.

His work has appeared in publications like Acapella Zoo, The Best American Mystery Stories, and the Sewanee Review. His debut novel, “Ember” is the 2016 winner of the South Carolina First Novel Prize, which was judged by Bridgett M. Davis, and it was published by Hub City Press in the fall of 2017.

“Ember” chronicles the journey of Lisa and Guy, a married couple attempting to cope with the changes to their way of life when the Earth’s sun begins to die, and the American South is constantly cloaked in winter. The tale is a beautifully rendered portrait of a couple coping with what it means to survive, and caught in a predicament with no easy answers.

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Author Brock Adams speaks to an audience about his new book “Ember,” which chronicles the journey of Lisa and Guy, a married couple attempting to cope with the changes to their way of life when the Earth’s sun begins to die, and the American South is constantly cloaked in winter.

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Author Brock Adams is currently working on a piece about what happens after the zombie apocalypse. “The idea is the zombie apocalypse has already happened and the humans have won.”

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We spent some time with the Upstate author talking about his favorite spots in Spartanburg, the research he did for his novel, and what he likes to read in his spare time. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

SPARTANBURG MAGAZINE: What brought you to the Upstate, and what did you think of the area once you arrived?

BROCK ADAMS: I came to the Upstate back in 2008, right before the big recession started. After earning my MFA, I applied to teaching jobs all over the Southeast, and Spartanburg offered me a job.

I knew nothing about Spartanburg. I don’t think I ever actually visited South Carolina. I came up for my interview and liked this little town. I told my girlfriend, now my wife that I could see us living here. We immediately loved our proximity to the mountains and being somewhere where there are seasons. Coming from Florida it’s just hot all of the time, but here we actually have snow in the winter, and the leaves turn in the fall. It’s great to be able to travel to the nearby outdoorsy things that there are to do. I’ve learned that Spartanburg is just a really cool town and has gotten progressively cooler in the years that we’ve been here, so I feel like we really lucked out that this was the one place where I got a job.

SM: The great outdoors and a lot of local scenery plays a major part in “Ember.” How did the

book come about—when you moved closer to the mountains and sort of saw the scenery, or has the story percolated for longer than that?

BA: I started thinking about the book within the first year or two of living here. At that time the sun wasn’t a major story point. I envisioned that all the power was out, and there were bad guys who had some plan. And I started writing it, but I knew that I didn’t have a clear enough motivation for the bad guys. I didn’t have a clear reason that the power was out. The story was a bit aimless, so I put it away. About five years ago I woke up at four o’clock in the morning. Because I was half asleep, I was just convinced that it was 10 o’clock in the morning and the sun had not risen. I was a little freaked out.

Eventually, I woke up and realized what was going on.

But it got me thinking, what would happen if the sun actually didn’t rise? We think of ... the sun will come up tomorrow is the ultimate cliché. We rely so much on the sun. We know it’s always going to be there, but what if the thing we relied on the very most began to fail us?

SM: Every author has his or her own way of crafting the world their characters inhabit. What went into crafting Guy and Lisa’s world?

BA: I wanted the place that Guy and Lisa inhabited to feel like my home, as it would be if the world was in

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the very, very early stages of the apocalypse. I tried to think about how would people behave when the weather began to change. I also looked at human behavior, and how people would cope? With bad guys out trying to kill you, what lengths would everyday people, like Guy and Lisa, go through to survive? Very quickly they became their own people. I was just trying to picture this young couple who can’t have a kid. They’re trying to fill that hole, I think to a certain extent, with the dog, Jemi. But then, you’ll see later in the book, Jemi comes into play. She and Lisa are in some ways kindred spirits, you know, trying to survive against the odds.

SM: What went into creating the terrain they trek through?

BA: My wife and I have traveled to Iceland a couple times. As I wrote the novel I would think about the landscape up there.

I tried to imagine the level of snow and ice that we see in a place like Iceland, sitting on top of North Carolina scenery.

The idea was to blend in what’s familiar in one world, and bringing it to a strange place. That makes it completely unfamiliar, which I think is both beautiful and scary.

I think that the more familiar you are with something, the more credibility you have when you’re talking about it. And so, living in the Upstate and having spent my whole life in the South, I feel like I know this area of the country. I know the people.

I can best imagine what would happen if a disaster like this actually took place.

SM: Regional places like the Biltmore Estate make an appearance. How much local research did you do? Did you spend a lot of time at Biltmore taking notes? Did you sit down at the Spartanburg library and start digging through the files to make sure you got the history of the Upstate correct?

BA: When I realized that Asheville and the Biltmore were gonna play a big role, I knew I had to spend more time there.

I’ve been to Asheville several times before that. We took a couple of trips up that way to the nontouristy parts and I would spend the day driving around on some of the random roads in Asheville to give me a feel for what the town is like.

SM: What was it like to get the phone call about the First Novel Prize?

BA: I was super happy. I was proud and honored. Still, the biggest emotion was relief.

The phone call was the end of years of trying to get a novel published. I’d written a whole novel, not “Ember”, but an entirely different novel. I found an agent,

Author Brock Adams said, “I think there’s a lot of people who think they need to write great, thoughtprovoking, culturally relevant works of literature.”

and he spent years trying to sell it, and I spent lots of time revising that work. We finally had to give up on that one. Then I wrote “Ember” and went through the same process again of rejection and revising.

It was just years and years of work with nothing to show for it. I was so excited that finally, all the work had paid off.

SM: Your book came out with Hub City Press based in Spartanburg. How does it feel to be so close to the publishing process instead of with an agent in New York and a publisher in New York?

BA: The second best part of winning the prize was knowing that I’d be able to work closely with the editors and with the publisher. Throughout the process, they could call a meeting or I could call a meeting, and the drive is just minutes from my house. I could sit down and talk with everyone involved. It made it feel like communication was so much easier. They always asked what my thoughts were on whatever decisions we were making.

SM: What is it like to have your book out in the world? You worked so hard on it.

BA: It’s been really cool sharing the book with my friends and my colleagues. I might see an acquaintance at the gym or at the grocery store or something, they’ll come up to me and, “Oh. I read your book and I loved it and I couldn’t believe this happened.”

For so long these characters who only existed for me but now they are out there in the world, and people that I know are

Adams advises aspiring writers to read and to write what you enjoy.

getting to share this experience that I wrote.

Originally it was only inside of my head.

SM: In 2007, you published your first story in Eureka Literary Magazine. Can you tell me a little bit about what you’ve learned in this decade of writing?

BA: The number one thing is persistence.

Second would be having a thick skin, and being willing to take criticism. You have to be willing to sort through the criticism and figure out when it’s just somebody who doesn’t get it, versus when you’re doing something wrong and you do actually need to make changes. You have to be able to deal with tons of rejection on just the faintest hope of getting some sort of acceptance. And then, understand that with very few exceptions, nobody makes it quickly. You’ve gotta put in the time.

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Author Brock Adams signs a copy of his book “Ember” on Aug. 31, 2017 at the Hub City Bookshop.

“The number one thing (I’ve learned) is persistence. Second would be having a thick skin, and being willing to take criticism.”

SM: For someone who wants to get started writing, what would you tell them?

BA: First of all, read, and read a lot.

Second, write what you like. I think there’s a lot of people who feel like they need to write great, thought-provoking, culturally relevant works of literature. That’s great if you can do that, but for a lot of people, that’s not fun. That’s not what they wanna read. So that’s not what they wanna write. If you’re not enjoying yourself at least some while you’re writing, you’re not gonna want to keep doing it.

SM: What books did you read when you were growing up?

BA: My favorite author when I was younger was Terry Pratchett. I read all of his “This World” novels, and I really liked the magic. I also really liked the humor. “Ember” has a few

funny moments. It’s certainly not humorous, but the novel I’m trying to work on now is a lot more of the kind of satirical, dark humor that you see in some of Pratchett’s stuff.

SM: What are you reading now?

What is making you excited to sort of get up and open a book?

BA: I’m currently reading some non-fiction. I’m really into a book called “The Song of the Dodo” by David Quammen. It’s about simultaneous animal extinction and evolution. The book looks at how some species survive and why other species go extinct, and what is going on in their environment.

It explains what has been added or removed that’s changed the environment in such a way that some animals are going to succeed and some animals are not. It makes me think about a lot of the issues that are going on today, like climate change and the industrialization of previously untouched land.

How is that going to affect ecosystems, and how is it gonna affect the whole world?

SM: It sounds like fodder for a new novel.

What are you working on right now?

BA: I’m working on a piece about what happens after the zombie apocalypse. The

idea is the zombie apocalypse has already happened and the humans have won. They have eradicated the zombies, and things are getting back to normal stage. But the heroes that saved humanity from the zombies they were losers before the threat came along, but since they were the best at killing zombies, they were respected.

Now that the zombies are gone, they’re back to being losers again, and these guys are past the prime of their life. And in their mind, the only way that they’re ever gonna get back to their former glory is if they can find some way to steal a zombie and restart the zombie apocalypse.

SM: What does your perfect day in Spartanburg look like? Where do you go? What would you eat?

BA: First we would sleep late, and then get breakfast at The Skillet—that’s a place that we like a lot. After that we would go outdoors as a family, spending time at Milliken or Hatcher Gardens.

Spartanburg has several nice parks. Dinner would be Chinese food — Uncle Poon’s — and then we would spend the rest of the evening watching a movie.

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Hoondirt ARTIST FORMALLY KNOWN AS

Cody Roberts’ works can be seen from downtown Spartanburg to Drayton Mills

H

STORY BY STEVE WONG | PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

oondirt. Now, there’s a name you don’t hear every day. You’re much more likely to hear something conventional like “Cody Roberts.” But Cody — who from this point on in this article will be referred to as “Hoondirt” — is anything but conventional. At least, that is what he aims for.

“The way I see it,” the bearded artist with big fashionable glasses said, “if you’re not different, you’re the same. Where’s the fun in that?” On a recent day, he was standing on Main Street, Spartanburg, pointing out the many pieces of artwork scattered about.

Every few minutes someone would yell, “Hey, Cody,” and he’d throw up a hand or run over for an animated conversation. He’s obviously well known by those in the downtown community.

Hoondirt is a Spartanburg-based artist who specializes in metal sculptures, things like minimalist bikes, little blue people, big rocking chairs, and horses with holes in them. He also does functional metalwork, usually with a bit of Hoondirt flare. Unlike many artists, Hoondirt stays out of the mainstream of Spartanburg’s arts community. He’s connected and he networks with some of Spartanburg’s most influential citizens and businesses, but he’s not a member of the Artists Guild of Spartanburg or West Main Artists Co-op. He didn’t know the City of Spartanburg received a $1 million grant to install artistic lights throughout the city.

And even though he has many of his works in downtown Spartanburg, he was unaware

Some of Hoondirt’s work includes tables at The Standard restaurant at Drayton Mills.

that Spartanburg was one of the first cities in South Carolina to have a designated “Cultural Arts District” — the exact area where his work is most concentrated.

“I purposely avoid the mainstream,” says the 43-year-old single dad of two sons, Farron Koy Roberts, 20, and Drayk Paris Roberts, 16. “The less I know about local art, the more creative I will be. I try to not take ideas from other artists. I like doing things at my own pace, having freedom. I failed at art class in high school. That’s been my whole life story. Maybe I’m an idiot savant?”

Artist Cody Roberts’ work is seen by many in Spartanburg, including bicycle sculptures in downtown Spartanburg, many art fixtures at Drayton Mills, and an airplane sculpture at the Spartanburg Downtown Airport. Roberts, who goes by the moniker Hoondirt, was photographed at Drayton Mills, on Jan. 9, 2018.

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Artist Cody Roberts’ work is seen by many in Spartanburg, including many art fixtures at Drayton Mills.

Yet, he wants to be recognized for his art, and he’s willing to go to the extremes to make an impression.

Once, when he was interviewed by a television news reporter, he wore a wolf mask — much to his father’s bewilderment. On his unfinished website, he wears a face-concealing welder’s helmet. But when given the opportunity to be profiled in print, his first and adamant request was that the article is not conventional. “I don’t use social media or have a fantastic website because it is something I cannot acquire,” he sort of explained.

“I refrain from doing so because I find it far more intriguing to remain aloof.

So many people wear their life on their sleeve, like a billboard advertising how great of a restaurant they may be.

I happened to be a big fan of momand-pop diners who nail it out of the park without promoting themselves because they put out good products, and word-of-mouth reigns supreme.

I am nothing on social media, but everybody I know is on board. I treat myself like a buried treasure waiting to be discovered.

“Throughout history, the masked man has always been intriguing to me,” he continued. “I think it creates interest in a bizarre way. Who knows, maybe I just like making myself look like a schmuck. I remember I wore a lion’s costume to school in third grade, and it wasn’t even Halloween.”

But naming yourself “Hoondirt” begs for an explanation. When Hoondirt was just getting started as an artist in 2007, he was welding scrap metal together to make bicycle sculptures at his workshop at his father’s bowling equipment company -- A1 Bowling Co. on Nazareth Church Road -- when a skinny, sickly, and probably homeless man began to give him unsolicited technical advice on welding and creative suggestions on sculptures.

The stranger would literally hold the artist’s hands to aid in the welding and would leave sketches of suggested sculptures. The only name the man ever gave was Jon, but the artist dubbed him “Hoondirt,” a made-up descriptive name that he eventually adopted as his own.

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“At this point in my career, I’m just glad I didn’t nickname him Honey Bear.”

Poetically, “Hoondirt” was the name given to the artist’s first exhibit at the defunct downtown coffee shop Cafe Ishi, an exhibit that included skeletons riding bicycles. The artist had hoped his namesake friend would come to that exhibit, but he didn’t, and Hoondirt – the artist — hasn’t seen Hoondirt — the inspiration — since. But the name lingers.

“Perhaps I’m a coward for using a nom de plume,” he pondered. “However, there’s something remarkably comforting that if somebody doesn’t like my sculpture and thinks it sucks, I can say, ‘I didn’t make it — that was Hoondirt.’ Either way, I sound like a moron.”

Hoondirt came to Spartanburg in 1990 from New Jersey, when he was 15 years old, because of his father’s work. His Jersey accent is now faint, but it’s there. He graduated from the old Dorman High School in 1992 and then “dabbled” in philosophy at college but never received a degree. In the years since, the self-taught artist, who “just did it,” has found his niche, and his art has found its way to Facebook’s Data Center in Forest City, N.C.; Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport; garage-rocker Jack White of The White Stripes; Wofford College; and most recently the upscale Drayton Mills. His works include a giant rocking chair that symbolizes the South’s inclination toward relaxed conversation, horses and their influence on foothills culture, a bike-riding robot holding colorful balloon-like wheels, and an airplane that is displayed at an angle, not to his exact liking.

“This makes me think of a quote from Woody Allen’s movie 'Match Point,’ ” Hoondirt said, looking for words to describe his success. “The man says about his newborn child, ‘I don’t care if he’s successful. I just hope he’s lucky.’ That’s really what I’m dealing with here. Any successful person would be lying if they said they made it without the luck factor.

I’m sure there are other artists equally as talented, if not more than I am. I have 110 percent understanding of how lucky I have been.”

As his art has grown creatively and in demand, it has also branched out. Most recently, he was asked to take some of the leftover metal found in the renovations of Drayton Mills and to make two community tables for The Standard, “a refined kitchen” from the noted Rick Erwin Dining Group. They are the two large tables that flank the bar as you walk in the door. They are made of sheets of repurposed metal on repurposed metal beams. The table tops are remarkably smooth but retain a worn industrial look with splatters of paint and hints of rust. Throughout the complex of commercial enterprises and apartments are iconic sculptures made from old textile equipment, office fixtures, and whatever else a cotton mill might have once used in its day-to-day operations. These pieces of cobbledtogether historic artifacts are now purely decorative and reminders of what Drayton Mills once was.

Hoondirt was brought on to help with Drayton Mills’ metalwork needs through real estate developer John Montgomery, who met the artist through another business person when he was doing work for Pacolet Milliken Enterprises. “Spartanburg is lucky to have such a creative person who specializes in metalwork,” Montgomery said, noting that Hoondirt has also done work for his family. “It’s been fun to watch him take salvaged materials that would have otherwise been trash and turn it into art. He was referred to me by someone else who had used him. I found him by word of mouth. He’s a hard worker, does great work, and always exceeds my expectations.”

Some of Hoondirt’s bike sculptures in downtown Spartanburg.

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Artist Cody Roberts’ work is seen by many in Spartanburg, including many art fixtures at Drayton Mills.

“I believe anyone who calls themselves an artist should be diversified,” Hoondirt said in regards to the variety of art and metalwork he’s done for Drayton Mills. “You should challenge yourself. I learned a great deal from working at Drayton Mills. I am very grateful.”

As a result of Hoondirt’s tapping into the artistic wants and needs of the business community and those individuals who can commission his work, he is one of the few artists in Spartanburg who can claim to be “full time.” For years, he worked for his father, and on occasion, he still lends a hand at making bowling equipment.

“I got lucky,” he admits when he considers that word-of-mouth is pretty much how he gets his business. “I can look in the mirror and say that I’m a full-time artist. I’ve wanted that for a long time, and it’s super cool.”

Despite sidestepping the established arts community, Hoondirt claims Spartanburg as his own: “It’s great to be accepted. I feel loved by this town.

They’ve taken a chance on me.”

Now with the luxury of name recognition, Hoondirt is not pressured to showcase his work in classic exhibition style, but exhibiting is something he’s done and may yet do again. “I love putting on art shows, especially in the early days of my career,” he recalled. “It was a great outlet to get rid of my ideas that keep me up at night. Personally, my art shows are just things that I would love to see. I have a final art show brewing in me that will hopefully blow minds and rip faces off — like a high-five to Spartanburg – or simply just delight the public.

Either way, it’s going to be a humdinger.” Don’t expect to see it promoted on Facebook, but expect the unexpected.

Right now, he’s lining up work with the Montgomery Building where he is being commissioned

Artist Hoondirt’s airplane sculpture at the Spartanburg Downtown Airport.

to produce 22 computer tables, using the wreckage from the building’s renovations. Also, on his radar is to use his welding talents to make brackets to support televisions at the much-celebrated AC Hotel by Marriott in Spartanburg. “I’ll put a little Hoondirt on them and they’ll be cool,” he predicts.

“They (developers) know me and trust me. When they’re happy, I’m happy.”

Spreading a little Hoondirt goes a long way in Spartanburg… and beyond.

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INSIDE HISTORIC GREYLOGS ESTATE 1920s house and surrounding 23 acres are on the market for $2.75M

STORY BY ALYSSA MULLIGER | PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

estled among 23 acres of lush vegetation, tall trees and open pastures is one of Spartanburg’s most prestigious and historic estates.

Greylogs Estate was built in 1925 off Montgomery Drive by the Victor Montgomery family as their country getaway. The family already had a house in downtown Spartanburg, which has since become home to The Piedmont Club.

Greylogs Estate was designed in the same architectural style as Asheville, N.C.’s Grove Park Inn, with rounded roof edges, detailed interior woodwork and large granite fireplaces.

In 1961, John and Ysabel Dulken purchased the estate and raised their three children in the five-bedroom, four-bathroom home and where they could enjoy the property’s swimming pool, tennis court, spring-fed pond and horse stables.

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In 1961, John and Ysabel Dulken purchased the estate and raised their three children in the five-bedroom, fourbathroom home.

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The most spacious room in the house is the living room, where ample seating and furniture like the grand piano and grandfather clock create an ideal entertaining space.

Greylogs Estate was built in 1925 off Montgomery Drive by the Victor Montgomery family as their country getaway.

The master bedroom includes a granite fireplace and windows overlooking the gardens and pasture.

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The 92-year-old home is where eldest son Glenn Dulken hid a life-size skeleton in the basement to scare his siblings. It’s where daughter Katie (Dulken) Fearington drank afternoon tea with her mother on the little brown sofa in the living room. And it’s where youngest son Mark Dulken hosted festive high school parties, often unbeknownst to his parents.

“Growing up here always felt like it was an oasis, like it was set aside from the rest of town,” Mark Dulken said.

“This place is a total rarity and there’s nothing like this.”

For the first time in 56 years, the multimilliondollar estate located just a few miles outside downtown Spartanburg is on the market. John and Ysabel Dulken passed away in 2007 and 2016, respectively, and their children now own and are selling the estate.

The property was being listed for $2.75 million by Damian Hall Group as of early January.

“It’s rare that the home has been with one family since 1961 and they really loved the place,” said Damian Hall, a realtor and CEO of Damian Hall Group. “It’s a super rare find, as it has 23 acres in an area where there is no more land left to build.”

Hall said besides some electrical and plumbing updates throughout the years, the majority of the house is as original as when it was built. The house boasts 10-foot ceilings and hardwood floors and is filled with architectural details like Dutch farm doors leading to the guest rooms and granite archways inside the downstairs recreation room.

The master bedroom includes a granite fireplace and windows overlooking the gardens and pastures. The master bath has a balcony with views of a reflection pool and waterfall below. Like much of the house, the master study has floor-to-ceiling, solid-wood paneling and large windows that allow natural light to pour inside.

The most spacious room in the house is the living room, where ample seating and furniture like the grand piano and grandfather clock create an ideal entertaining space. “Our parents were very much into the local society and always doing benefits,” said Mark Dulken.

“Up until the days they both died, they were very instrumental in fundraising and advocating and entertaining.”

On one particular day, the living room was the site of Glenn Dulken’s wedding rehearsal for about 80 people. But most nights the room was the perfect spot for family time. “I have memories of the Christmas tree being set up beside the fireplace and my dad stretched out on the floor asleep, listening to classical music,” Mark Dulken said.

The adjacent dining room and adjoining kitchen also serve as places for cozy family meals and elegant formal dinners. “We always had these wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in the dining room,” Glenn Dulken said. “My mother was a great cook and there’d be feasts fit for a king. We’d have extended family and friends around that table and my mother would use the finest silver, china and linens.”

Past the living room, rustic doors open onto a

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large screened porch that looks out on the terrace below and picturesque views in the distance. “The porch was always a really special place for reading and having meals,” Fearington said. “It was a go-to spot on a rainy day.”

Other features inside the house include a wine cellar, workshop and 1960s fallout shelter with a sink and spaces for beds.

After John Dulken passed away, Mark Dulken restored parts of the house that had fallen into disarray. He put on a new roof, replaced much of the log work and cut back decades of brush growth against the house. “It took me about a year to do it and it really brought the house back to its grandeur, which was incredibly gratifying,”

Mark Dulken said. “I’ve been keeping my dad’s legacy alive by maintaining this place.”

The estate also includes a full-sized guest house set aside in its own area with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a living room, full kitchen and screened porch.

Glenn Dulken said his grandmother lived there for a while during her later years. “We’d go up to Grandma’s house and she’d make a stack of really thin pancakes and in between each layer was powdered sugar and blueberries,” he said.

Some of the siblings’ fondest memories are from the estate's sprawling property where they’d fish in the pond, ride horseback, go swimming or play in the fields. “You put your books

Rustic doors open onto a large screeed porch that looks out on the terrace below and picturesque views in the distance.

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“You put your books down when you got home from school and you were just gone until dinner or until dark. We were allowed to live out our fantasies I guess you could say. It was magic.”

down when you got home from school and you were just gone until dinner or until dark,” Fearington said. “We were allowed to live out our fantasies I guess you could say. It was magic.”

Mark Dulken added, “We were encouraged to go get lost and have an adventure.”

Fearington said one of her favorite places was the hayloft inside the stables where she’d peer down at her pony below and spend afternoons dreaming up fairy tales.

Glenn Dulken also recalled one afternoon when he and a friend watched a Robin Hood movie and went outside to play with a bow and arrow in a field by the tennis court. “We wadded up gauze, taped it to the tip of the arrow, soaked it in gasoline and lit it on fire,” said Glenn Dulken. “We shot it up into the air and it hit the field and caught the field on fire.

It was a great adventure for two 12-year-olds.”

Because the siblings have since established their lives and families out of state, they are optimistic that the estate again will serve as an oasis for the next family. “It was my dad’s castle and it’s time for another family or multiple families to enjoy it,” Fearington said. “We want to keep it in our hearts and minds the way it is. It’s such a special place.”

Mark Dulken said the siblings are open to other uses like an organization buying the property and turning it into a retreat or bed and breakfast. “In the last year, I’ve been transitioning from being incredibly nostalgic about it to being more practical,” he said. “To see the estate go in a commercial direction would be pretty cool because then it’d be preserved.”

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Greylogs Estate was built in 1925 by Victor Montgomery as his country retreat. Modeled after the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, the property includes 23 acres with a pool, tennis court and barn.

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A century later, Cleveland Law Range provides space to lawyers, professionals STORY BY DANIEL J. GROSS PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

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century-old building credited with being the first high-rise in downtown Spartanburg was once a bustling space for attorneys and distinguished statesmen.

The wood floor offices with large single-pane windows and coal-burning fireplaces were the working environments for governors, federal judges, and presidential advisers.

Today, the three-story Romanesque-style brick building serves the same purpose, though only the first two floors are used. They’ve been renovated to house offices for lawyers, counselors, psychiatrists and other professionals while the third floor and attic are original and unoccupied.

The Cleveland Law Range building on Magnolia Street was once a bustling space for attorneys and distinguished statesmen. Above: The third floor and attic of The Cleveland Law Range building on Magnolia Street are original and unoccupied.

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The building was built in 1898 by brothers John and Jesse Cleveland.

Cleveland Hoover is a fifth-generation Cleveland and now handles the building maintenance.

His son, Zane, a sixth-generation Cleveland, is two years old and in the early learning stages of preservation and upkeep. The family hopes to carry on the building's use as law offices for years to come.

Situated on Magnolia Street, the 12,000-square-foot building was built to support the original courthouse building across the street, which was built in 1892 but has since been torn down.

The current county courthouse now sits on Magnolia Street as well and is where the county’s new courthouse is expected to be built.

Hoover said Brent Atwood, vice president of property management at NAI Earle Furman, and landscaper Rick Brown, have been instrumental in the building’s preservation.

The Cleveland Law Range building on Magnolia Street in Spartanburg is credited with being the first high-rise in downtown Spartanburg.

Coal-burning fireplaces that were later converted into wood stoves sat in nearly every room. Burn marks from pieces of coal can be found in the wood floors in several rooms.

Within the building, a large wrap-around wooden staircase is a focal point.

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Cleveland Hoover, holding his son Zane, 2, gives a tour of the building.

Between the upkeep of the structure’s original slate gable roof, brick façade and hard-wood floors, Hoover said he stays busy with maintenance while maintaining several other buildings in town.

“We’ve had to keep it going. We don’t want to change the history. We want to preserve it,” he said.

Five arched bays on the ground floor and large bay windows in the attic help give the Cleveland Law Range a distinguished look from the outside.

A wrought-iron fence from Cleveland

Hall, another property that comes from the Cleveland family and that sits across from Converse College, was brought to the Cleveland Law Range’s back parking lot so it could be preserved.

Within the building, a large wraparound wooden staircase is a focal point.

Particularly around the holidays, Hoover’s mother enjoys decorating the building with wreaths, garlands, and bows to get in the season, he said.

Coal-burning fireplaces that were later converted into wood stoves sat in nearly

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The third floor and attic of The Cleveland Law Range building on Magnolia Street are original and unoccupied. Yearround, the family hangs flags representing each branch of the military to honor those in the service.

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every room. Burn marks from pieces of coal can be found in the wood floors in several rooms. “Here in the foyer under the carpet are ax marks on the floor from years ago where they would chop their wood to heat the place with firewood,” Hoover said.

Year-round, the family hangs flags representing each branch of the military to honor those in the service. “We want to make sure veterans and all military are welcomed,” Hoover said.

Perhaps the most notable tenant there was James F. Byrnes, who served as governor of South Carolina, became the Secretary of State under Harry S. Truman and director of war mobilization and reconversion under Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The building was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1973.

“Preserving the history,” is what Hoover says he enjoys most about the building. “Hopefully we can use it to teach children. Teach them a little bit about life.”

Large bay windows in the attic help give the Cleveland Law Range a distinguished look from the outside.

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The Cleveland Law Range building on Magnolia Street is located across from the Spartanburg County Courthouse.

Within the building, a large wrap-around wooden staircase is a focal point.

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Mobile Meals program is thriving in 1920s-style home STORY BY ZACH FOX PHOTOS BY TIM KIMZEY

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ne 20th-century Spartanburg resident’s dream home has been a godsend for Mobile Meals.

The Spartanburg nonprofit, which provides meals to elderly residents and shut-ins across the county, is headquartered in the former home of Gertrude DuPre Burnett, who had the home built in 1919.

With its tan bricks, original white molding and tall, white columns in front, the building saw a variety of uses before becoming Mobile Meals’ home.

“This was her dream house,” said Jayne McQueen, founder of Mobile Meals. “We look at it as a gift from God because of First Presbyterian’s help with the building.”

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The Mobile Meals building on East Main Street in Spartanburg, Thursday, December 14, 2017. The historic building was built in 1919.

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First Presbyterian Church, right next door to Mobile Meals, currently owns the building and rents it to the nonprofit for $1 per year, McQueen said.

“Some people have said, they don’t need my money, they live in that big, fancy house,” McQueen said. “They don’t realize we pay First Presbyterian $1 a year.”

Burnett, born in 1861, was the daughter of former Wofford College professor Warren DuPre and the widow of Wilbur Emory Burnett, who was the president of First National Bank and vice president of Spartan Mills.

Warren DuPre was elected professor of natural sciences at the first Wofford board of trustees meeting in 1853. He was one of the college’s first faculty members and was the first resident of the DuPre Administration Building, which is still used on Wofford’s campus.

A dormitory on campus, DuPre Hall, was also named for him.

Left: Mobile Meals President & CEO Jayne McQueen talks about the blessing the building has been to the ministry. She holds a framed portrait of the original owner of the home, Gertrude Dupre Burnett. Burnett was the daughter of former Wofford College professor Warren DuPre and widow of Wilbur Emory Burnett, president of First National Bank and vice president of Spartan Mills.

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The 1920s-style Neoclassical home was turned into an administrative headquarters for the nonprofit after serving as a funeral home for decades. A 10,000-square-foot commercial kitchen was added to house food preparation.

Various community partners donated wallpaper, paint, carpet and other items to get Mobile Meals on its feet in the East Main Street building. “No money given to Mobile Meals for food was spent on this building,” she said. “It’s such a caring, caring community.”

The front portion of the Mobile Meals building is still entirely original, featuring yellow-toned bricks, off-white molding and extravagant columns welcoming visitors. A lot of tender loving care went into transitioning the building from a funeral home into space for a nonprofit organization, McQueen said.

Above: Jayne McQueen holds a framed portrait of the original owner of the home, Gertrude Dupre Burnett. Burnett was the daughter of former Wofford College professor Warren DuPre and widow of Wilbur Emory Burnett, president of First National Bank and vice president of Spartan Mills.

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“Most everybody on staff has a ‘God sent me here story,’ and this building is no exception.”

Jayne McQueen

“The floors are original from 1919,” she said. “That glass up there has been there since 1919. It’s got little, colored squares in there. It’s very unique. When they were restoring this building, they took the glass out and kept it locked up in wooden crates to protect it.”

The front door’s shiny, golden lock is backward. McQueen said she’s not sure why it was installed in reverse, but it’s one of the quirks of the building employees and volunteers have had to learn over the years.

Most offices in the building are in former bedrooms, each with several large windows looking out at either East Main Street or First Presbyterian Church.

A long room at the top of the building’s stairwell now serves as a Mobile Meals conference room.

McQueen said when Burnett lived at the house, it was an event and party space, where she would welcome

guests. The room, too, contains several large windows overlooking Venus Pie pizzeria and the buildings leading up to Pine Street on East Main Street.

Over the years, the work done to the historic home has earned awards countywide. The Spartanburg County Historical Association recognized the nonprofit's preservation of the home with the Peggy T. Gignilliat Award, given each year to the person or group that has done the most to preserve the county’s history.

McQueen said she and Mobile Meals staff are thankful to have found a home in the building.

“Oh, it has been tremendous. Here, we have been able to expand to have case management, other services,” she said. “Most everybody on staff has a ‘God sent me here story,’ and this building is no exception.”

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BODYSLAMS, CLOTHESLINES

& DROPKICKS Wofford College students learn a cultural history of professional wrestling STORY BY ZACH FOX | PHOTOS BY GWINN DAVIS

A Wofford College interim course's aim was to teach students confidence, public speaking, theater and other skills through bodyslams, clotheslines, and dropkicks.

January Smackdown: A Cultural History of Professional Wrestling is one of the month-long courses the college offers in January. Along with the demographics of fans and the cultural significance wrestling has in the region, students are learning what it takes to make it in the ring and behind the microphone.

Wofford students prepare for the January Smackdown at Chief Jay Eagle’s American Pro Wrestling Arena.

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Dan Mathewson, Wofford religion professor who is also known as a wrestler, Mr. Canada, said he hopes the 24 students can take lessons from the class into their post-college lives. “They’re learning to enact and put themselves in different roles,” he said. “That’s very much part of the education we give at a liberal arts college, having students sort of see from the perspective of someone else. When we act like someone else, we are quite literally embodying the way someone else behaves.”

For about three weeks, students have been training in a theater to make sure they get a grasp on their character and their motivations in and out of the ring.

Students have also taken to the ropes at American Pro Wrestling in Boiling Springs. The promotion, run by Jerry Bragg, better known as Chief Jay Eagle, runs a show every Saturday at 8 p.m.

Pro wrestling — half combat sport, half soap opera — has been popular in the Southeast for decades.

Many of the students were fans when they were young, and have a new appreciation for wrestlers’ skill after seeing what goes into each match. “I didn’t really know, now watching the matches, I can see like, oh, they were talking to each other. I can tell when they’re about to do something, or I’m like, oh, I know how to do that move,” said Drew Copeland.

Monday morning, students got to know their characters more during a photo shoot, promoting their end-of-course show.

Matt Cathey, a math professor who also goes by the wrestling persona, La Grande Orange, said the characters allow students to tap into something they may not have realized they had. “One of my favorite things about teaching the course is seeing the students in the ring for the first time, and they’re really hesitant, but over time, they’re giving each other body slams; it’s like a whole different person,” Cathey said.

“They really blossom.”

Nick Fury-Shawn Porter, center, works with Dalton Sullivan.

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Nick Fury-Shawn Porter, left, works with Dalton Sullivan.

Caroline Chester, left, works on a move.

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Ross Hammond and Liam Ronin created a pair of brothers as their characters. Richard “Rich” Beauregard and his brother, Sterling, were inspired by the duo’s fandom, Hammond said.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Ric Flair and just the persona around him and how he pretty much lived what he did,” he said. “That’s kind of where my persona comes from.”

Most, if not all, of the students, were surprised by how physically grueling pro wrestling training is. On a recent Monday night at American Pro Wrestling, students worked on moves and how to make them look as real as possible, known as “selling.” “When people say it’s fake, it’s not fake, they’re doing real things. You can say it’s fixed, but you can’t say it’s fake,” said Codi Karas, whose persona, Codi Reefer, is a laid-back, California surfer. “It takes hard work and talent to be able to do this. It takes some serious skill to not get hurt. I don’t know if your average Caroline Chester, right, works on a move.

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Dalton Sullivan, top, and Griffin Bosserman work on moves.

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Wofford students prepare for the January Smackdown at Chief Jay Eagle’s American Pro Wrestling Arena.

Joe can be able to pull it off.”

The art of selling is made easier by the ring, made of steel beams and wooden planks, making every fall legitimately bruising.

“It doesn’t look super difficult.

It looks super smooth and fluid and easy, but it’s hard. It hurts,” Ronin added. “It’s a different kind of pain. I woke up the morning after the first training and had bruises (up and down) both arms.”

Mathewson has taken his fandom of wrestling and his expertise of religion to help form a professional wrestling studies association of professors nationwide.

The group of professors shares ways they’re taking traditional courses and molding them with aspects of pro wrestling, the most basic of which are stories of right and wrong, good and evil. “It’s stories of who we are, it’s stories where we put on stage our biggest cultural tropes. We act out who we are and engage in ritualized, stylized combat,” he said.

Mathewson said the course helps students develop and improve physical skills along with selfconfidence, public speaking and a handful of other attributes they can take with them out of the

college and pro wrestling world.

One student who took the course a few years ago picked up the physical and theatrical sides of pro wrestling quickly and used the experience to help get a job, Mathewson said. “You have to project a certain image of yourself.

In the interview process, you’re projecting this totally competent, totally confident version of yourself. He tapped into that,” he said.

“He had to do that once before, and that became the topic of conversation, and he got the job.

He thinks he was hired because of that (interview experience).” §

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William Cribb of Cribb’s Kitchen shows off his pan seared grouper (white fish).

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Spartanburg A TASTE OF

Inaugural event showcases county’s farm culture, foodie scene

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STORY BY ALYSSA MULLIGER | PHOTOS BY ALEX HICKS JR.

partanburg County’s emerging farm culture and foodie scene were highlighted during the inaugural A Taste of Spartanburg event, held Nov. 14 at Chapman Cultural Center.

The ticketed event presented by Hub City Writers Project and Spartanburg Water featured food by 15 chefs and appearances by more than a dozen farmers. Proceeds from ticket sales supported Hub City Writers Project.

Betsy Teter, executive director of Hub City Writers Project, said the event was an opportunity to showcase not only a few of the county’s more well-known restaurants but others that people weren’t as familiar with.

“The chefs had a great time and felt it was wonderful exposure for them,” Teter said. “I think that was the most exciting thing to me. We were very grateful to them for being a part of the event. I know we are talking about potentially doing it again this year.”

Chef Topher Gibbs of City Range shows off his seared duck breast with beet and butter nut squash orzo risotto. It is topped with arugula.

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A number of local restaurants and chefs showed off their foods at ‘A Taste of Spartanburg’ held at the Chapman Cultural Center on Nov. 14, 2017.

The event also celebrated the launch of “A Taste of Spartanburg: Local Chefs, Local Farmers, Local Recipes,” a book published by Hub City Press in November.

The book includes interviews, photographs, and recipes of chefs and food producers in Spartanburg County, including those who were part of the event.

Talented chefs offered up bite-size plates of some of their signature dishes from pan-seared grouper and duck terrine toast to ahi tuna poke and blue cheese mac and cheese bites.

CHARLENE’S HOME COOKING IN MOORE Chef Charlene Davis ladled bowlfuls of beef stew over rice, cabbage, yams and cornbread just like Grandma used to make.

Davis said she had never done an event like A Taste of Spartanburg and it was a bit overwhelming, in a good way. “At first I didn’t know if I wanted to do it and then I got excited about it and it’s awesome,” she said while serving guests at the event.

Roasted root vegetable tartlet with goat cheese and prosciutto prepared by Stone Soup restaurant.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Chef Sarah McClure of Southside Smokehouse & Grille shows off her Shrimp and Grits. William Cribb of Cribb’s Kitchen shows off his pan seared grouper (white fish). Chef Topher Gibbs of City Range. Liz Blanchard’s Son of a Peach biscuits.

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William Cribb with Cribb’s Kitchen serves up some pan seared grouper.

CITY RANGE STEAKHOUSE GRILL IN SPARTANBURG

SOUTHSIDE SMOKEHOUSE & GRILLE IN LANDRUM

Executive Chef Christopher “Topher” Gibbs presented plates of seared duck breast with beet juice infused orzo risotto and butternut squash.

Gibbs said he enjoyed cooking at the event and sharing his passion with attendees. “I’m glad to participate and give back to the community that I grew up in and just show the love that I have in my heart for food and for Spartanburg,” he said.

Chef Sarah McClure, who was named a 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassador in December, offered guests a creole twist on shrimp and grits that included sausage, mushrooms, onions, garlic and tomatoes in a white wine cream sauce.

McClure said A Taste of Spartanburg gave her a chance to meet new people and tell them about her family’s restaurant.

“We’ve been open for about 13 years but being in Landrum and not right downtown a lot of people even from our area have no idea we’re there,” she said. “So events like this are always really good to interact with people and get the word out.”

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Nick Dhers of Le Spice’s Lamb Curry Sandwich on brioche.

THE CAROLINA COUNTRY CLUB OF SPARTANBURG Executive Chef Bill McClellan provided hungry guests with bowls of seafood gumbo and cups of warm white chocolate bread pudding covered in whiskey sauce.

McClellan said the event was a good chance to mingle with fellow foodies. “I just like meeting all the new people and the local chefs and farmers,” he said.

“It’s like a networking party and it’s great being here.”

THE PIEDMONT CLUB IN SPARTANBURG Chef Carlin Morrison served up cups of ham brood (bone broth) with ricotta cornmeal gnocchi, shitake mushrooms, and pea shoots.

Morrison said the event was a great example of supporting local chefs and farmers. “Spartanburg has always been really good about that. Not everybody runs to corporate restaurants because we have so many good local chefs and local restaurants,” she said. “This is also an opportunity to show how we can use local ingredients.”

Other participants at A Taste of Spartanburg were Cakehead Bakeshop; Cribb’s Kitchen/Willy Taco/ Cribb’s Catering/FR8yard/The Kennedy; Le Spice; Gerhard’s; Renato In Centro; The Farmer’s Table; Stone Soup; The Streatery Food Truck; Blue Moon Specialty Foods; and RJ Rockers.

TOP: Bill McClellan with Carolina Country Club prepared seafood gumbo and white chocolate bread pudding.

BOTTOM: Liz Blanchard with Cakehead Bakeshop.

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‘This is my dream job’ Long-serving frirefighter reflects on answering the call STORY BY DANIEL J. GROSS PHOTOS BY ALEX HICKS, JR.

Johnny Alimohamed still remembers 8 a.m. on Dec. 6, 1991, as the start of a lifelong career.

He spent weeks in anticipation of a job he never expected to get. He assumed the employer was blowing him off when they weren’t ready to make a new hire.

They proved him wrong.

An official with what was then the Spartanburg Public Safety Department asked him to put in his two weeks’ notice at his current job and gave him the start date.

Twenty-seven years later, Alimohamed is now the longest-serving employee at the Spartanburg Fire Department. “I remember meeting with W.C. Bain, the chief at the time. I said, ‘This is my dream job. Please hire me,’” Alimohamed said. “The city has been good to me.”

The 57-year-old is now a captain working out of the department’s south-side station on Union Street. He still fights fires, but he also manages schedules, inspects equipment, leads training, speaks to students about crime prevention and guides a team of younger firefighters.

“It’s a different breed of people here.

You’re running away from fires while we’re running into a fire. You don’t find that everywhere. I have some good guys,” he said.

Stress has always been a part of the job, and despite the many years working for the fire service, Alimohamed will still spring out of a deep sleep to head to a fire call in the middle of the night in under four minutes — sometimes in two minutes, which is what his team strives to do.

“It’s a thrill. I’m a calm person, but within 10 seconds my voice will change,” he said.

No matter the size of the house or a person's economic status, he talks about the value of someone’s possessions no matter what they have. “It hurts me to see anybody’s house burned,” he said. “And the last thing I want to see is a human trapped in a fire.”

Alimohamed has always been drawn to

Johnny Alimohamed is now a captain working out of the department’s south-side station on Union Street. He still fights fires, but he also manages schedules, inspects equipment, leads training, speaks to students about crime prevention and guides a team of younger firefighters.

Capt. Johnny Ali has been with the Spartanburg Fire Department for more than 25 years.

He’s one of the longestserving employees with the department.

public safety. He grew up with an innate desire to help others, so it made sense for him to pursue a career in the field. “I was always thrilled with looking at lights and sirens. I always thought one day when I grow up I would be a police officer,” he said.

Alimohamed moved from his native Tanzania to the United States in his early 20s, and it was several years before he was able to get into public safety.

When Spartanburg had a combined Public Safety Department, officers were trained in both police and firefighting. For about three years, Alimohamed did more on the police side until switching over to firefighting.

During his firefighting career, he spent 15 years as a reserve deputy for the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and police

work still calls him.

But a firefighter's schedule proved better for his family — he has a daughter and a son — than that of a cop.

One of the biggest changes through the years, Alimohamed said, has been switching from filing paper reports to a digital system, where records are all on computers. “I’m old school. For me, I had to learn everything from basic. The city sent me to a computer class,” he said.

Alimohamed said the appreciation from the community has kept him motivated throughout the years. “My biggest thing is to help people. … I love helping people,” he said. “When you go to a scene, the smile you get or hug from somebody thanking you, it means a lot to us.”

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‘Servant leader and visionary pastor’ Rev. Snoddy celebrates 42 years of service at Mount Moriah STORY BY CHRIS LAVENDER PHOTO BY JOHN BYRUM

The Rev. Benjamin Snoddy’s love for the ministry and the people he serves at Mount Moriah Baptist Church remains strong 42 years after he preached his first sermon to the church’s congregation.

In September 1975, Snoddy was invited to preach during revival services at the church.

Two weeks later, he received a phone call letting him know the church had voted to make him its next pastor.

At the time, Snoddy was working as a chaplain with the S.C. Department of Corrections in Columbia and had no intentions of leaving. But his life was about to take an unexpected turn.

Snoddy said coming to Mount Moriah was the right decision because it was God’s calling for his life. “I think God has really blessed us here,” Snoddy said. “The past 42 years have been great and challenging at times. It’s been a ministry that has had different moves as we have come along with the community.”

Mount Moriah was on South Liberty Street when Snoddy first arrived, though the church had already bought a piece of land on South Church Street with plans to move there.

Snoddy helped lead the church’s move to 445 S. Church St. in 1977.

Founded in 1863, Mount Moriah has about 900 active members. Snoddy said when he first arrived, a majority of church members lived on the city’s south side. Today, congregants live in areas throughout the city.

In November 2002, the church dedicated its new 26,500-square-foot Family Life Center. The $3 million project allowed Mount Moriah to expand its reach into the community, providing more space for worship and teaching. The center includes a boardroom for staff, an exercise room, kitchen, and gymnasium.

“It really has served us well,” Snoddy said.

“The atrium connects the two buildings.

There’s a computer lab in there and space for food and a clothes bank.”

Snoddy, 71, said he’s excited about the church’s future and has no plans to retire.

He’s still got work to do.

“There are still a lot of needs in Spartanburg. There are a lot of families doing well, but there are a lot of people really suffering

in the city, and I think the church exists to meet the needs of suffering people.”

He added: “Suffering people are not always poor people.

Some suffering people are middle class and rich people, too. You can’t assume because someone has a nice home and good income that they don’t suffer.”

In 2018, Snoddy said he wants the church to focus on ministry opportunities citywide and reach beyond the AfricanAmerican community. As the city becomes more diverse, Snoddy said he wants the church to meet the city’s ongoing needs.

“I want us to reach out to young people and make more adjustments to attract some of those families into the church,” he said. “I also want us to start providing a new ministry for single parents. There’s a growing number of blended families, and we need to find out how to minister to those families.”

Snoddy was born and raised in Wellford and graduated from Florence Chapel High School in 1964. His father, Cornell Snoddy Sr., supported the family by working second shift in a local mill and as a contractor building homes. He also farmed a piece of land he inherited from his family in Inman.

Snoddy’s mother Geneva worked just as hard at home taking care of the family’s needs.

After high school, Snoddy attended Claflin University in Orangeburg, where he studied health and physical education. He intended to become a school teacher, but after he started preaching at 18, Snoddy decided to pursue the ministry.

He received a teaching degree from Claflin in 1969, and he was on to the Morehouse School of Religion in Atlanta. Snoddy received a master’s of divinity degree from the School of Religion in 1972. He said it was a life-changing experience. “Every time I went to class and came out, I felt like I was converted all over again,” Snoddy said.

“It truly was a religious experience being

Rev. Dr. Benjamin Snoddy has been the pastor at the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Spartanburg for 42 years.

[JOHN BYRUM/FOR THE HERALD-JOURNAL]

around all those really sharp professors, and I learned a lot about the Bible and how it came to be and how to interpret scriptures.”

With his formal education complete, Snoddy moved to Norway, S.C., to serve at Bushy Pond Baptist Church. Through the years, Snoddy said he believes that God directed his steps. He said he learned to be flexible along the way.

Today, Snoddy said he feels blessed to have been ministering for more than a halfcentury. “All of my adult life, this is all that I have done,” Snoddy said. “I don’t regret any minute of it, and I feel humbled that God chose me to do this. I felt the calling of God. God works in so many ways. I love the people, and I really love the flock here in the church. That’s why I have been with them a long time.”

Several members of Mount Moriah’s congregation said they appreciated Snoddy’s service. “He is a servant leader and a visionary pastor,” said Richard B. Wheeler Sr., the chairman of the church’s Deacon Ministry.

“He has helped me grow in my spiritual faith.”

Wheeler said Snoddy has helped move the church forward using new technology to reach a wider audience. The church live streams its messages online.

Cheryl Berry of Greenville drives to Mount Moriah every week to worship at the church.

She also serves as a trustee and president of the Pastor’s Aid Ministry.

Snoddy has helped grow the church, she said. “When he came to Mount Moriah, we had very few ministries. And now we have more than 80 ministries,” Berry said. “To us at Mount Moriah, he is an icon. I believe in his ministry and what he has done. I love Mount Moriah. That’s why I travel so far, so I can hear Reverend Snoddy teach the word and preach from the Bible.”

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S pa r ta nb u rg ce le b ra tes com m u nity w i t h f u nd ra i se rs a nd socia l eve nts

Alexis de Tocqueville & General Daniel Morgan Leadership Societies Longtime Spartanburg philanthropists Betty and Walter S. Montgomery Jr. were honored Nov. 15, 2017, with the Morgan Award from the United Way of the Piedmont for their continued support of the organization and community.

The award is presented annually to a leadership donor who shows a caring spirit for the Spartanburg community. Betty and Walter Montgomery received the award during the 31st annual Alexis de Tocqueville & General Daniel Morgan Leadership Societies Reception. The event is a celebration of United Way’s leadership donors and annual award recipients, and it was held at the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts at Wofford College.

Patricia Martin, Donna Burroughs and Kelly Ezell (left to right) were among the guests to honor Betty and Walter Montgomery.

Walter and Betty Montgomery.

Several hundred people gathered to honor Betty and Walter Montgomery on Nov. 15 at at the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts at Wofford College.

Amia Means (above) and Heather Lother (right) sign a card for Betty and Walter Montgomery.

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1831 Gala PHOTOS BY WENDY SHOCKLEY MCCARTY Young Professionals, UWP Young Leaders, and junior members of The Piedmont Club attended the third annual 1831 Gala, an evening of live entertainment featuring The Black and Blue Experience. The event, which featured cocktails and horsd’oeuvres to benefit Upstate Warrior Solution, took place 7 p.m. until midnight on Jan. 26 at The Piedmont Club.

Martin Huff, Amber Mulak, James Mulak, Tomeka Pierce and Ashley Newton.

Jamie Kimbrell, Eric Chastain, Stephanie Chastain, Jayna Lehrer, Danielle Embry.

Wes Lehrer, Laura Allen, Ann Louise Granger and Roger Sullivan.

Tomeka Pierce, Meredith Lindsey, Kelly Harvey, Claudia Albergotti, Keely Williston.

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So You Think You Can Cook Chili?

PHOTOS BY LELAND A. OUTZ The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation’s 8th Annual So You Think You Can Cook Chili Cook-Off took place Jan. 27 at The Country Club of Spartanburg. Proceeds from the event supports the work of the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation.

Leah Kent and Mici Fluegge.

Kirsten Miller tries some of her team’s chili.

Anna Converse and Delie Fort.

Kat Olson, Blakely Rippner, Sarah Takahashi and Lindsay Diberardo.

Mike Anthony and Dale Anthony.

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Christine Scarpelli and Robert Conner.

Judy Wilson and Jimmy Wilson.

Mary Hayes, Loreta Dylgjeri and Sandra Cannon.

Dede Ward and Jeff Ward.

Ann Akerman and Mike Beard.

John Bauknight, Cecile Wagner and Jamarcus Gaston.

Teddy Wagner and Curt Wagner.

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Horsing with Halter PHOTOS BY JOHN BYRUM

Horsing with Halter celebrated 30 years of service on Aug. 26, 2017 with dancing, barbecue, and an auction.

Attire was boots and blue jeans with music by Rob & The Mob.

Janice Gelband and Nancy Anderson.

HALTER held their annual fundraising event at the riding arena next to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind.

Steve and Dana Griffin and Dorothy Storms.

John Cecil and Rob Myers.

Cindy Hancharick and Sharon Stanley.

Guests get a look at the silent auction.

Bill and Tracie Easterling.

Bob Tennyson and Brenda Shields.

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PA R T I N G S H OT

The Spartanburg Historical Association held a tour of the Montgomery Building in Spartanburg on Jan. 28. Shannon Johnston, superintendent, Harper Corporation General Contractors, right, starts the tour of the building.

History buffs get inside look at Montgomery Building STORY BY BOB MONTGOMERY | PHOTOS BY ALEX HICKS JR.

History buffs got an inside look at the Montgomery Building restoration project on Jan. 28.

From the arch panels to skylights, wood molding, plaster capitals, and marble stairs, the iconic 94-year-old, 10-story building on North Church Street in downtown Spartanburg will be restored to its original 1924 appearance, the general contractor’s superintendent said.

“This is probably my dream job,” Shannon Johnston of Harper Corporation told about 40 members of the Spartanburg County Historical Association during a pretour project update at the Chapman Cultural Center. “When I was a kid I remember driving by and looking up each time we went past the Montgomery Building.”

He led groups of people on an inside tour of the building, starting with the first floor and ending on the 10th floor for those who didn’t mind the open-aired elevator ride to the top. The floors, walls, and ceilings have been stripped to expose the original construction detail.

Johnston said plans are for the building to open in October this year. The $29 million project includes renovating 30,000 square feet including the iconic first-floor theater and space for a restaurant, a coffee shop, a barber shop with black-and-white checkered flooring, and possibly a bank or other retail store.

The second and third floors will be turned into offices and some commercial space. And the fourth through 10th floors

into more than 60 upscale apartments, ranging in size from 700 to 1,500 squarefoot studio, and one- and two-bedroom units.

Greenville-based BF Spartanburg LLC bought the building last February.

Johnston said the design was among the first of its type for a tall building and helped pave the way for construction of the Empire State Building in New York City in 1931.

A restaurant will occupy 4,000 square feet on the St. John Street side of the building. The owners have had discussions with several businesses wanting to locate in the Montgomery Building, as well as from many interested in renting apartments.

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AUTOMATIC FOLIO WILL APPEAR HERE

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SPRING 2018